Conventionally, there is a technique of, in a charging apparatus for charging a portable apparatus such as a portable device, causing a charging terminal to protrude in accordance with the mounting of the portable apparatus on the charging apparatus.
Conventionally, if the portable apparatus has been moved in a shifting manner, the charging terminal may become caught by the portable apparatus. This may make it difficult to mount the portable apparatus on the charging apparatus.
Therefore, the present application discloses a charging apparatus, a charging system, and a method of connecting a charging terminal that further facilitate the mounting of a portable apparatus.
(1)
An example of a charging apparatus according to the present specification charges a portable apparatus. The charging apparatus includes a housing, a first movable member, a charging terminal, and a second movable member.
The first movable member is configured such that at least a part of the first movable member protrudes to an outside of the housing through a first opening portion provided in the housing, and configured to be pressed down by mounting the portable apparatus on the housing. The second movable member is connected to the charging terminal, and accommodates the charging terminal in the housing in a reference state where the first movable member is not pressed down, and when the first movable member has been pressed down, causes the charging terminal to protrude to the outside of the housing through a second opening portion provided in the housing, so as to enter a terminal contact state where the charging terminal can come into contact with a charge-receiving terminal of the portable apparatus.
Here, the first movable member and the second movable member are configured such that an amount of movement of the charging terminal during a period from the reference state to a predetermined intermediate state is smaller than the amount of movement during the same period in a case where the charging terminal moves from the reference state to the terminal contact state by an amount proportional to an amount of pressing down the first movable member.
On the basis of the above configuration (1), during the period from the state where the first movable member is starting to be pressed down to the intermediate state, it is possible to make the amount of protrusion of the charging terminal smaller (than in the case where the amount of movement of the charging terminal is proportional to the amount of pressing down the first movable member). This makes it possible to reduce the possibility that the charging terminal becomes caught by the portable apparatus when the portable apparatus is mounted on the charging apparatus, thereby enabling a user to easily mount the portable apparatus on the charging apparatus.
(2)
The first movable member and the second movable member may be configured such that the amount of movement of the charging terminal per unit amount of pressing down the first movable member is larger in a predetermined second state where the amount of pressing down the first movable member from the reference state is relatively large, than in a predetermined first state where the amount of pressing down the first movable member from the reference state is relatively small.
On the basis of the above configuration (2), in the state where the first movable member is starting to be pressed down, the change in the amount of movement of the charging terminal is small, and in the state where the first movable member is deeply pressed down, the change in the amount of movement of the charging terminal is great. This makes it possible to reduce the possibility that the charging terminal becomes caught in the state where the first movable member is starting to be pressed down, and also possible to cause the charging terminal to protrude sufficiently. This enables the charging apparatus to certainly charge the portable apparatus.
(3)
At least one of the first movable member and the second movable member may be configured to be rotationally movable. In this case, the first movable member moves the second movable member by a first abutment part of the first movable member pressing a second abutment part of the second movable member, the first abutment portion being a portion of the first movable member that abuts the second movable member, the second abutment portion being a portion of the second movable member that abuts the first movable member. Further, the first movable member and the second movable member are configured such that an angular difference between a moving direction of the first abutment part and a moving direction of the second abutment part is smaller in the second state than in the first state.
On the basis of the above configuration (3), the configuration is such that the angular difference in the first state is greater than the angular difference in the second state. This makes it possible to make the change in the amount of movement of the charging terminal smaller in the state where the first movable member is starting to be pressed down, and possible to make the change in the amount of movement of the charging terminal greater in the state where the first movable member is further pressed down. Thus, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the charging terminal becomes caught. This also enables the charging apparatus to certainly charge the portable apparatus.
(4)
The first movable member may be rotatable about a predetermined first shaft. The second movable member may be rotatable about a second shaft generally parallel to the first shaft, In this case, the first movable member moves the second movable member by rotating about the first shaft while changing a position in the first movable member that abuts the second movable member and a direction in which the first movable member presses down the second movable member.
On the basis of the above configuration (4), the two movable members are rotatable so that the rotation of the first movable member causes the second movable member to rotate. This makes it possible to make the change in the amount of movement of the charging terminal smaller in the state where the first movable member is starting to be pressed down, and possible to make the change in the amount of movement of the charging terminal greater in the state where the first movable member is further pressed down. Thus, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the charging terminal becomes caught. This also enables the charging apparatus to certainly charge the portable apparatus.
(5)
The first movable member may include a press-down surface and a first abutment surface. The press-down surface protrudes through the first opening portion in the reference state, and comes into contact with the portable apparatus when the portable apparatus has been mounted on the housing. The first abutment surface is provided on the same side as the press-down surface with respect to the first shaft, and abuts the second movable member. In this case, the second movable member may include an abutment portion and a supporting portion. The abutment portion has at an end portion thereof a second abutment surface configured to abut the first abutment surface. The supporting portion is connected to the abutment portion at one end thereof, and supports the charging terminal at the other end.
On the basis of the above configuration (5), it is possible to easily achieve the above configuration (4).
(6)
The first movable member may be configured to be rotationally movable, and configured such that an amount of rotation of the first movable member per unit amount of pressing down the first movable member is larger in a predetermined second state where the amount of pressing down the first movable member from the reference state is relatively large, than in a predetermined first state where the amount of pressing down the first movable member from the reference state is relatively small.
On the basis of the above configuration (6), the amount of rotation of the first movable member is adjusted in accordance with the pressing down of the portable apparatus. This makes it possible to reduce the possibility that the charging terminal becomes caught.
(7)
The first movable member and the second movable member may be configured such that an amount of movement of the second movable member per unit amount of movement of the first movable member is larger in a predetermined second state where the amount of pressing down the first movable member from the reference state is relatively large, than in a predetermined first state where the amount of pressing down the first movable member from the reference state is relatively small.
On the basis of the above configuration (7), the amount of movement of the second movable member is adjusted in accordance with the movement of the first movable member. This makes it possible to reduce the possibility that the charging terminal becomes caught.
(8)
The charging apparatus may further include a biasing member configured to bias the second movable member so that the second movable member presses the first movable member so as to enter the reference state.
On the basis of the above configuration (8), it is possible to maintain the two movable members in the reference state with one biasing member. This makes it possible to simplify the structure of the charging apparatus.
(9)
The charging apparatus may further include a first biasing member and a second biasing member. The first biasing member biases the first movable member so as to enter the reference state. The second biasing member biases the second movable member so that the charging terminal is accommodated in the housing. In this case, the first movable member is away from the second movable member in the reference state, and moves the second movable member by abutting the second movable member in accordance with the pressing down of the first movable member by a predetermined amount or more.
On the basis of the above configuration (9), it is possible to prevent the first movable member and the second movable member from coming into contact with each other in the reference state. This makes it possible to prevent the charging terminal from moving until the first movable member is pressed down by a predetermined amount. Thus, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the charging terminal becomes caught.
(10)
The first movable member and the second movable member may be configured such that positions in the first movable member that abut the second movable member change discontinuously during a change from the reference state to the terminal contact state.
On the basis of the above configuration (10), it is possible to discontinuously change the proportion of the amount of movement of the charging terminal to the pressing down of the first movable member while the abutment positions change from the reference state to the terminal contact state. This makes it possible to reduce the possibility that the charging terminal becomes caught by the portable apparatus.
(11)
The charging apparatus may further include a rotating member provided such that at least a part of the rotating member protrudes to the outside of the housing through a third opening portion provided on a mounting surface on which the portable apparatus is mounted in the housing, the rotating member being rotatable in a predetermined direction.
On the basis of the above configuration (11), if the portable apparatus is shifted from a correct mounting position when the portable apparatus is connected to the charging apparatus, the rotation of the rotating member corrects the position of the portable apparatus, thereby mounting the portable apparatus. This enables the user to easily mount the portable apparatus at a correct position without accurately positioning the charging apparatus. This makes it possible to certainly charge the portable apparatus.
(12)
The rotating member may be composed of at least two rotating members. In this case, the first movable member may be provided so as to protrude through the first opening portion formed at a position between the two rotating members, and so as not to protrude beyond a line segment connecting extremity portions of the two rotating members.
On the basis of the above configuration (12), if holes corresponding to the rotating members are provided in the portable apparatus at positions corresponding to the rotating members, it is possible to prevent the first movable member from being pressed down by the portable apparatus 2 in the state where the rotating members are not inserted in the holes of the portable apparatus. This makes it possible to reduce the possibility that the charging terminal becomes caught.
(13)
The rotating member may be provided so as to protrude beyond the first movable member with respect to a predetermined reference plane.
On the basis of the above configuration (13), when the portable apparatus is mounted on the charging apparatus, the portable apparatus is likely to come into contact with the rotating member before with the first movable member. This makes it possible to reduce the possibility that the first movable member becomes pressed down in the state where the rotating member is not inserted in the hole of the portable apparatus 2. Thus, it is possible to further reduce the possibility that the charging terminal becomes caught.
It should be noted that on the basis of the above configurations (11) to (13), even if the amount of movement of the charging terminal is proportional to the amount of pressing down the first movable member, it is possible to achieve the effects of the configurations.
In addition, the present specification further discloses an example of a charging system including the charging apparatus and the portable apparatus, according to the above configurations (1) to (13).
It should be noted that in the charging system, the portable apparatus and the charging apparatus may be configured such that the portable apparatus does not move the first movable member in a state where a part of the rotating member is not inserted in the hole of the portable apparatus. This prevents the charging terminal from protruding in the state where the position of the charging terminal of the charging apparatus and the position of the charge-receiving terminal of the portable apparatus do not coincide with each other. This makes it possible to reduce the possibility that the charging terminal comes into contact with (becomes caught by) a portion other than the charge-receiving terminal of the portable apparatus. It should be noted that it is possible to obtain this effect even if the amount of movement of the charging terminal is proportional to the amount of pressing down the first movable member.
In addition, in the charging system, the first movable member and the second movable member may be configured such that the charging terminal is accommodated in the housing in a state where a part of the rotating member is not inserted in the hole of the portable apparatus. This prevents the charging terminal from protruding from the housing in the state where the position of the charging terminal of the charging apparatus and the position of the charge-receiving terminal of the portable apparatus do not coincide with each other. This makes it possible to reduce the possibility that the charging terminal comes into contact with (becomes caught by) a portion other than the charge-receiving terminal of the portable apparatus. It should be noted that it is possible to obtain this effect even if the amount of movement of the charging terminal is proportional to the amount of pressing down the first movable member.
In addition, the present specification discloses an example of a method of connecting a charging terminal of a charging apparatus for charging a portable apparatus to a charge-receiving terminal of the portable apparatus.
On the basis of the charging apparatus, the charging system, and the method of connecting charging terminals, it is possible to mount a portable apparatus on a charging apparatus more easily by reducing the possibility that the charging terminal becomes caught by the portable apparatus.
These and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the exemplary embodiments will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the exemplary embodiments when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.